Experienced F1 racers Pierre Gasly and Kevin Magnussen have thrown their support behind the FIA's new technical directive, which aims to reduce the bouncing of the latest generation Formula 1 cars. With the issues of high-speed bouncing refusing to go away, the calls from F1 drivers for the FIA to intervene have been successful. Ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix weekend, the FIA announced a new technical directive with the aim of eliminating or reducing the amount of bouncing the cars will do. Whilst the details of the directive are still being figured out, drivers have mostly praised the FIA's decision to take action. AlphaTauri's Gasly was outspoken in his criticism of the excessive bouncing after the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, and welcomed the news of a technical directive. "I am happy that they are taking it seriously and that they are trying to intervene as quickly as possible with measures," Gasly told media, including RacingNews365.com . "We drivers are ultimately the ones who have to take the blows of these impacts and suffer the pain. I am happy that the FIA has understood our message and responded quickly."
Gasly: Drivers, not teams, should be discussing safety matters
The new technical directive has been met with a variety of opinions among the teams , but most of the drivers have agreed that something needed to happen. With teams frequently prioritising the pace of their cars, Gasly believes that issues regarding driver health and safety should only come from the drivers. "If you only look at the onboard images, you don't even realise what it's like. Only when you are in the car at 330 kilometres per hour do you understand that," added Gasly. "That is why we [the drivers] can best have this discussion. In any case, I'm just happy that the FIA has understood that this is a serious, serious subject. "It wasn't a problem for me at first. I spend a lot of time in the gym, but I've never felt the way I did in Baku. [I had] two treatments from the physio a day, because my back hurt so much. "On Monday I also had another session immediately after my flight, because my back hurt. I still feel a bit stiff. It's the new normal, but in the future, solutions really need to be found."
Magnussen: This is the reason the FIA exists
Kevin Magnussen echoed the sentiments of Gasly and welcomed the decision from the FIA to intervene. The Haas driver also agreed that the teams should not have a say on issues relating to driver health and safety. "That's why the FIA is there. That's why they exist. That's part of their job, the intervention, because we can't leave it to the teams," said Magnussen. "They will always do what is best for them. That is natural and you should expect that from everyone. The FIA is there to intervene as the 'adult'." Magnussen added that he wasn't sure if the FIA's intervention came as a result of the driver complaints. "I don't know if it's a reaction to the drivers after Baku. You have to ask them that, but I hope they at least listen to what the drivers have said," the Dane continued. "The FIA is concerned about safety. From a health point of view, this could potentially be a problem."
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